Home & Design

BEFORE.

A peninsula housing the sink and dishwasher features a bar/serving area with undercounter refrigeration on the dining room side.

BEFORE.

The range and a second oven are both by Thermador.

Tall shelves display cookbooks and glassware beside a microwave. Open shelves showcase collectibles against a backsplash of glazed-ceramic tile.

Colorful cement tile grounds the new laundry area, which can be concealed behind doors.

Replacing the prior kitchen’s rickety cabinets and choppy views, the new plan opens sightlines to the bay; quartzite counters top Wood-Mode cabinets in Agate blue.

Kent Island Redux

Aidan Design brings style and function to an outmoded kitchen on the bay

For more than 20 years, Scott and Margaret Johnson, retired owners of a DC marketing firm, spent weekends and downtime at their waterfront getaway on Kent Island. But after sheltering there during covid, the couple decided to make it their permanent home.  

The Johnsons recently completed a total overhaul of the 1952 rancher’s cramped, outdated kitchen. They tapped Nadia Subaran and Kelly Emerson of Aidan Design to reimagine the space. Among their goals: to maximize views of the Chesapeake, increase storage and create a bar/serving area for parties. They also wanted to display sculptures and objects collected over the years. 

A clever redo combined the kitchen and adjacent mudroom—which previously housed the fridge—and traded a bulky boiler and hot water heater for a tankless water system. These moves made way for a spacious and functional kitchen where the owners can cook and entertain in casual, easygoing style. 

Facing walls of Wood-Mode cabinetry dramatically increased storage potential. On one side, narrow cabinets store extra sets of china, cookbooks and barware while a microwave stationed near the fridge adds convenience. In lieu of the wall that once blocked the view, a low peninsula divides the kitchen and dining area; on the dining side, it features a bar/serving zone with an under-counter refrigerator. 

The Johnsons are thrilled with their bright, stylish new kitchen. “More than a kitchen renovation, this project is a beautiful extension of their living spaces,” notes Subaran. “We designed it so each cooking and entertaining experience brings inspiration, comfort and happiness.”

Kitchen Design: Nadia Subaran, principal; Kelly Emerson, senior designer, Aidan Design, Silver Spring, Maryland. Contractor: Edgar Navarro, Glenn Dale, Maryland. Appliances: ABW.

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HOME&DESIGN, published bi-monthly by Homestyles Media Inc., is the premier magazine of architecture and fine interiors for the Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia region.

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